Langlade County, Wisconsin - Chapter 45, 1922

Chapter 45

Survey of 1857 - Area - Drainage - Surface - H. B. Polar, Indian Trader - Territorial Changes of Polar - Early Roads - Officials of Polar, 1881-1923 - Schuman - Highland - Franklin - Edison - Lincoln - Clark - First Store in Polar - Industries - Post Office - Sylvan Lake.

Polar township lies immediately east of Antigo in congressional township 31 North of Range 12 East. It is bounded on the north by Price township, on the east by Evergreen township, on the south by Norwood township and the Menominee Indian Reservation and on the west by Antigo township. The township survey was started November 21, 1857, and was completed December 1, 1857. James McBride was the surveyor.

The surface of Polar is undulating and hilly. Deep ravines, valleys, highlands and plateaus, all exist, and are very fertile. Originally the entire area was covered with a growth of heavy forest products, consisting of white pine, hemlock, oak, maple, elm, basswood and a dense undergrowth of small vegetation. All has yielded to the woodman's axe with the exception of some native groves that still stand.

The only occupants of this unimpenetrated forest were the wild animals, and Indians whose trails crossed each other. Today Polar has a splendid net work of highways, and excellently improved farms which produce luxuriant crops of all agricultural products adapted to a temperate climate. Herds of pure bred cattle, fine dairy farms, sheep and hogs, poultry, well constructed silos, modern lighting systems, telephones - all these have taken the place of the timber and brush line.

Polar was named after Hi. B. Polar, English prospector, Indian trader and Stopping Place proprietor of the Wolf river country. It was one of the six original Langlade County townships of 1881. When organized it consisted of all that territory embracing the present township of Polar, Price, Ainsworth, a part of Nashville township, Forest county and a part of Wabeno township. Forest county, in the following government civil divisions: Townships 31, 32 and 33 North of Range 12 East and townships 34 of Ranges 12, 13 and 14 East. The first township meeting was held at the log farm home of Moritz Mueller, section 16, township 31, Range 12 East. James Schufelt was elected the first township Chairman. Herman Schmeisser and Chester Starks were the first Supervisors of Polar township.

Early Roads

The first road application to be acted upon in Polar was a petition of settlers who wanted a township line road built between townships 30 and 31 of Range 12 East. The petition was sent to the Polar town board July 1, 1881. Other early roads were: Commencing at the southwest corner of section 31, Township 31,

Range 12 East and running north on the range line to the quarter post of the west side of section 30, Township 32, Range 12 East. Another early road was the one built along the section line of sections 21 and 28 of township 31, Range 12 East. The road running between sections 31 and 32, 30 and 29, 19 and 20 was constructed in the fall of 1881. The application for this road was made August 23, 1881. The Antigo- Polar road was authorized in 1881.

Early highway overseers were : Horace Dudley, Burnam Dudley, Valentine P. Rath, August Hanke, Robert Sprang, William Flemming, Charles Lade, and Wm. Kieper.

Territorial Changes

Before the organization of Langlade County Polar belonged to Langlade township, Oconto County, a vast wilderness embracing 44 and a third townships, stretching north to the Michigan-Wisconsin boundary. Its original area after the organization of Langlade County was 216 square miles, or six congressional townships. We will now see how it was cut down to its present area.

On December 13, 1883, townships 32, 33, 34 of Ranges 13 and 14 East were detached from Polar and formed into a new township called Price. Polar has since been one congressional township. No. 31, North of Range 12 East.

Polar Town House

The Polar township hall is located on Highway No. 64 in the NE I4 of the NE 1/4 of section 20. It is a frame building and was erected in 1882.

Justices Of The Peace District No. 1

SCHUMAN DISTRICT. The Schuman school district is located in the southern part of Polar township. The land was taken up by homesteaders in 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888 and later. Julius Schuman, William Kieper, Charles Rabe, August Kieper, Charles Behm, W. W. Wheeler, and the Pickel family, were among the first settlers.

The first school was located on section 18 in 1887. It was a log structure. This school was used until 1902 when a frame building was erected by William Rusch.

Edward Nordman, Hattie Reader, Mr. Conan and Anna Tibbets, Frank Ringsmith, C. Koenig and Mrs. Rine were early teachers. Carolyn McCarthy was the 1922-23 teacher.

FRANKLIN DISTRICT. This is one of the oldest districts in Langlade County, being settled in 1877 by William Schmul, Jr. He was an immigrant from New London, Waupaca county, and with him came a colony of twenty-eight, all of whom moved elsewhere. Among this first group was Fred Demlow and Fred Rabe, who, in 1878 returned to the Franklin district. These hardy folk were followed by other homesteaders, including William Flemming, Sr., Valentine Weimer, William Malliet, William Schmul, Sr., Herman Schmeisser, Sr., E. P. Bridgeman, Charles Parsons, Sr., Ernest Demlow, James Kennedy, Anton Nonnenmacher, Martin Robrecht, M. D. Besse, Joseph Wilson, J. W. Parsons, August Hintz, Ernest Keiper, Charles Schuman, William Bottrell and August Hintz.

The thrifty pioneers of this district were not long in clearing the wilderness and erecting comfortable homes for their families. Roads were few, however, nothing but crooked, winding trails existing. Early roads were constructed east and west on the section line of sections 30 and 31 and also sections 29 and 32, 28 and 33. Another pioneer road was constructed on the section line between sections 31 and 32 running north and another on the south line of sections 31 and 32 running east and west.

Four years after the first settler came into Franklin district the first school house was erected on land leased from E. P. Bridgeman. It was a quaint structure 16x18 feet and entirely constructed of logs. All the benches, desks and other furniture were home made. Alice Root, a southern Wisconsin lady, was the first teacher. The Polar schools were then under the township system. Elfrieda Pautz was the 1922-23 term teacher.

Increased population made a new school necessary and in 1883 a larger, more pretentious frame school house was erected. This school was operated under the township system until 1885. The district was organized that year with William Schmuhl, Jr., William Malliet and Herman Schmiesser, Sr., as Treasurer, Clerk and Director respectively. Thus they were the first district school officers.

The frame school was condemned in 1915 and the following June, C. F. Dallman, who was awarded the contract, began the construction of the present brick school. It was completed in October, 1916. Appropriate dedicatory services were conducted in which Judge J. W. Parsons, W. E. Switzer, A. M. Arveson, and D. A. Mader participated. This was January 13, 1917.

A Lutheran church is located on the NW corner of the NW corner of section 33. It was erected in 1885. The following have been the Pastors : Rev. Stubenfal, Rev. Snider, Rev. Michalus, Rev. Dachstine, Rev. Ebert and Rev. C. D. Griese.

The district has rapidly forged to the fore as a dairying and agricultural center with the dying out of the lumber and logging industry. A cheese factory was erected in 1901 by Herman Krueger. It was moved to section 31 in 1907. Krueger sold it in 1912 to J. C. Holmes. In 1913 the factory was re-built. John Haese purchased the plant in 1918.

Robert Krueger operated a store in 1916 in the old Herman Krueger saloon building. In 1918 Herman Krueger took it over. Mr. Krueger also has a saw mill on section 31. He built it in 1913.

The old log house of William Flemming is the last of the early land marks in this district. Many of the pioneer settlers are still living, however.

POLAR DISTRICT. In the year 1877, Moritz Mueller, an esteemed citizen of Shawano County, Wisconsin, came through eastern Langlade County, passed over the Indian trails in what is now Polar township and staked a homestead claim on section 16, township 31 North, Range 12 East, near a beautiful little lake, since named Mueller's Lake, in memory of his settlement near its shores. A year passed and this pioneer homsteader moved his family into the wilderness. With him came his father-in-law. Mr. Mueller erected a provision camp, which developed into the first store in Polar. A post office was established and Mr. Mueller became the first postmaster.

Following the Mueller's came other pioneer homesteaders. Among them was John Fischer, John W. Parsons and family, Edward Nordman, Julius Yanke, Charles Greenburg, John Hose, Ernest Fischer, Herman Butzland, Fred Simmons, Chris Brandt, Ernest Radditz, Robert Sprang, David Montour, and James and John Drew. There were other early settlers also.

The first manufacturing institution in Polar village was erected in 1888 by the Webster Manufacturing Company of Menasha. It operated successfully under their ownership until 1898, when the T. D. Kellogg Lumber St Manufacturing Company purchased it. It has since been under their ownership and management. Thomas Kellogg, a grandson of T. D. Kellogg, who owned one of the first of Langlade County saw mills, has been Manager and Superintendent of the plant since 1910. The planing mill burned in 1918. It was never rebuilt.

Polar village originally adopted the name "Mueller's Lake." It was known by this name for many years. After 1888 when the Webster Manufacturing Company erected their mills at the village it was re-named Sylvan Lake by Mrs. Weeks, who was then Postmistress. The mill pond was then a large body of water and the name applied directly to it. When the Webster Company sold their interests the name reverted back to Mueller's Lake and was called such until the citizens voted to call it Polar, in honor of Hi. B. Polar, the In-

The first Polar school was a log building erected in 1878. Before this school was held in Moritz Mueller's residence. The first pupils were Herman and Clara Mueller and Ed. S. Brooks was the first teacher.

School was conducted for many years in the log school that once stood on the site of the present Polar school, section 15. Lucy Grignon and Tille Ferguson were teachers in the log school house. Following the log school a frame school was erected. After many years service it was moved from its original site and became a church.

Then a new frame school, one story, was erected. It was used in its original form until a second story was added on account of increased enrollment. The Polar graded school of today is well equipped. 1922- 23 teachers in the Polar graded schools are : Elizabeth Kleiber, Mrs. Emil Kramer and Mrs. Ed. Hose.

The oldest building in Polar still stands. It was the residence of Ernest Radditz and was erected in 1881. A Sunday School was organized in Polar in 1880 by W. W. Wheeler and Mr. Masterson. Old frame structures still existing belong to William Bruening, Carl Gruenberg, Robert Hitz and Otto Bruening.

Business places in Polar village are : Gus Henselman store and restaurant, the T. D. Kellogg Lumber & Manufacturing mill, T. D. Kellogg Lumber & Manufacting Company store, R. A. Bloedorn, soft drink parlor, the Polar General Garage, Arnold Hoppe, prop., the Walter Trakel garage, a cheese factory, now operated by Emil Kramer, a blacksmith shop run by Charles Rusch, and a shoemaker shop conducted by Ed. Schultze, and the R. P. Schmidt store.

EDISON DISTRICT. This school district contains all of sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and the west half of section 9, in the northwestern part of Polar township. It was first settled by Charles Soman, Sr., who came there in 1878. Joseph Soman, Sr., and Frank Kuehl, Sr., also came in 1878. They took up government homestead lands. Edgar Neff, a pioneer mill owner in Antigo township, took up a homestead in this district in 1879. These men were the first pioneer settlers.

In 1880 a school district was organized and Charles Soman erected a small log school. The only children to attend this school were those of the Edgar Neff family. The school was then under the supervision of township school officers. The district originally was known as District No. 5, but after the Edgar Neff family moved from the community it was attached to District No. 2. In 1889 it was re-organized and a new school was erected. It was a frame school and most of the material was purchased from Davis Brothers of Bryant. Mr. Cunard was the first teacher in the frame school. Nelson K. Joles purchased the frame school for $13 in 1905, after a new one was erected of brick. August Stabe was the contractor. Nellie Larson was the first teacher in the brick school. Other teachers were : Nannie Congleton, Ida Hudson, Charlotte Tobey, Lola Wilson, Agnes Wolter, Anna Weix, May Napier, and Dorothy Borth.

The school officers once planned an eastern and western school in the district but this idea was abandoned just before the brick school was erected. The 1922-23 teacher is Delphos Michaelson.

CLARK DISTRICT. The Clark district is located in the northern part of Polar township. The first settler was James Bodo, who came into the district, settled for a short time, and then moved away. He was followed by Mr. Clark, who came into the district from Antigo, where he had prospected previously. The third settler was a Mr. Caudill, who came from Kentucky. He, like those who came before, erected a rough log shanty on section 12. He was dissatisfied, however, and would not live in the country without his family. He then returned to Kentucky, arranged for moving his family, which he did. The first frame building was erected by him. It was a two story house, in which he has since resided.

Other settlers followed and before long Clark district was fairly populated. The railroad came through the district long before the first settlers, but roads were built after an elapse of years. The old Herman trail has since became the main highway.

The first school in the district was a log school erected just across the road from the present school. Mrs. Soman was the first teacher. In 1910 a frame school was constructed. Early teachers were : Cora Hungerford, Miss Censky, Maud Smith, Martha Weix, Alice Doucette, Mrs. Thornsberry, Anna Klitz, and others. The present teacher is Rose Singer.

The first school meeting was held in the old Logan house. The district was organized in 1910. The Logan house was used for one year as a school. Audrey Creeck, Florence Caudill and Ora Caudill attended the log school.

The pioneers of Clark district were forced to undergo many hardships. However they have developed farms, erected good buildings and have provided proper facilities for the education of their children. This is a striking contrast to that day when James Bodo, the wanderer, first came into this region.